Joshua

Joshua 10 ©

1 Five kings war against Gibeon. 6 The Gibeonites urgently appeal to Joshua, who goeth to their assistance. 8 God encourageth him, and casteth down hailstones from heaven upon the enemy. 12 At Joshua's word the sun and moon stand still. 16 The five kings are discovered and shut up in a cave till the pursuit is ended. 22 They are brought forth, scornfully used, and hanged. 28 Makkedah destroyed with her king, 29 and Libnah, 31 and Lachish, 33 and the king of Gezer, 34 and Eglon, 36 and Hebron, 38 and Debir. 40 After these conquests the army returneth to Gilgal.

1

NOW it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of aJerusalem had heard bhow Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; cas he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to dAi and her king; and ehow the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

2

That they ffeared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the 1royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

3

Wherefore gAdoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of hHebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of iLachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4

Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: jfor it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

5

kTherefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of lHebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.

6

¶And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to mGilgal, saying, nSlack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in othe mountains are gathered together against us.

7

So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

8

¶And the LORD said unto Joshua, pFear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

9

Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all qnight.

10

And the LORD r*discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to sBeth-horon, and smote them to tAzekah, and unto uMakkedah.

11

And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD vcast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

12

¶Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he wsaid in the sight of Israel, Sun, 2stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of xAjalon.

13

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of 3Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

14

And there ywas no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for zthe LORD fought for Israel.

15

¶And aJoshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

16

But these five kings bfled, and hid themselves in a cave at cMakkedah.

17

And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.

18

And Joshua said, dRoll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

19

And e*stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and 4smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.

20

And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, ftill they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.

21

And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: gnone moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

22

Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

23

And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24

And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, hput your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

25

And Joshua said unto them, iFear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for jthus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

26

And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and khanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

27

And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid lgreat stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

28

¶And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, mthem, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

29

Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto nLibnah, and fought against Libnah:

30

And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

31

¶And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto oLachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

32

And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33

¶Then Horam king of pGezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

34

¶And from Lachish Joshua passed unto qEglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:

35

And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly rdestroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36

And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto sHebron; and they fought against it:

37

And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.

38

¶And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to tDebir; and fought against it:

39

And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.

40

¶So Joshua usmote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and vof the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all wthat breathed, xas the LORD God of Israel commanded.

41

And Joshua smote them from yKadesh-barnea even unto zGaza, and all the country of aGoshen, even unto Gibeon.

42

And ball these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

43

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto cthe camp to Gilgal.